Chasing the Dream

When I was 15, my dream was to draw comics. I was misguided into graphic design instead, and by 19, it was my major in college. While I don’t regret my experience over the past decade, I realize I strayed away from my childhood dream.

I know drawing is a skill anyone can learn, but the craft of sequential art is very challenging. Realistically speaking, I don’t have what it takes to learn sequential art, and make a living off of it.

However, as a hobby, I’ve been writing for years. It’s satisfying. I believe the craft of writing is also a learnable skill.

I’m not an idiot. I know this is not going to happen overnight. I understand that breaking into comics & graphic novels is even harder for a writer. It took years and years for all of my favorite writers to come to prominence.

I’m prepared for the long, hard road.

Moving to Dreamland

I’ve decided to stick with my original blog url, and ditch the ‘asphalt dream’ …so find me at:

http://luisishere.wordpress.com

See ya there.

Showdown at High Noon

I never went to a football game while I was in high school. In fact, I went to my first high school football game three years after I graduated. And that was 10 years ago.

I was invited by my brother-in-law to attend a special play-off game between the Freedom High School Patriots and the Liberty High School Hurricanes this afternoon. I was interested in this game because I spent my freshman and sophomore year at Freedom. When we moved across town, I finished my schooling at Liberty. 

Ever since I could remember Freedom and Liberty were always rivals.

The game was held at the school district stadium, which is on the Liberty High School grounds. Although I was rooting for Liberty, but a tiny little piece of me was also glad Freedom made it far. Liberty started off slow, but got their poise back to win the game 28-14. Now Liberty is one step away from the PA state finals.

Photo used without permission.

Sunny in Philly Season 4 Review

A review of season four of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which ended  November 20th. You can watch full episodes at FX’s Web site.

Since it first aired in 2005, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia quickly became one of my favorite shows. While I thought season three was very funny, I was hoping that season four wasn’t going to be more of the same. I was not disappointed. There is not a bad episode this season. The writing and acting seem more refined. The jokes are still funny, and the timing is always perfect. The characters are really coming into their own.

My only criticism is that the final episode was not a rock-solid season finale. In fact, I had to make sure this was really the season finale. It’s not a bad episode. It just didn’t have the same kick as the season three finale.

According to Wikipedia, FX Networks has ordered enough episodes to last a couple of more seasons, and the main actors have all agreed to remain on the show. So, for the next few years, it will continue to be Sunny in Philadelphia.

Vampires Rise

Vampires are popular again, and it’s got me thinking about the mechanics of the characters involved in these vampire stories, as well as the story structure for the book Twilight.

As the movie Twilight approaches, I’m noticing some of the females in my life getting caught up in the books and can’t wait for the movie. 

My wife started reading Twilight because a friend from work wouldn’t stop talking about it. This was a couple of weeks ago, and my wife already finished the book and is all set for the movie. Another friend has been obsessed for months over these books. She just started talking about them one day.

I’ve become fascinated by the rising popularity of the Twilight series. I’m more interested in the mechanics of the books and the characters. As I understand, Bella is a character that many girls (and women) can relate to because she’s just your average girl who suddenly gets caught up in this dangerous adventure.

I think it’s easy to put yourself into a character such as Bella. Wouldn’t we all like to be involuntarily swept up in some sort of crazy adventure by a mysterious person of the opposite sex, and of course, fall in love with them? Add to that, you being a major part of the big picture.

This seems to be a successful formula for a story. Neo is a loner computer hacker who is confronted by the mysterious Trinity. And of course, Neo is The One. Another story that comes to mind is Wanted. Wesley has an undesirable life, and one day a mysteriously beautiful woman sweeps him away from his unhappy life into a world of danger.

These stories go to show that this re-used formula works. If you stick to that basic formula, I wonder if it’s other details that make the story unique? Vampires, assassins, revolutions in a futuristic setting, I’m starting to see how these sorts of details are what make the story interesting.

Resistance and Excuses

I discuss Resistance as explained by Steven Pressfield in his book War of Art: Break Through The Blocks and Win Your Creative Battles in relation to the upcoming busy holidays. Painting by Luis Vazquez, 2006

“Resistance is the enemy within.” -Steven Pressfield, War of Art, pg. 8

I was catching up with a friend through email and she remarked that “Resistance was kicking my butt” and I chuckled because I’m more or less going through the same thing. I feel that making excuses to justify not doing the creative work you should be doing is a form of Resistance.

However, I think there are legitimate excuses, as long as you understand that Resistance is part of the problem. Things like school, work, and taking care of kids are legitimate excuses to allow Resistance get the best of you in the short term.

As artists we shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves during this time of year. There is a lot going on, and the last thing you need is to make yourself feel bad for not being on top of creative endeavors. 

I know this flies in the face of Pressfield’s point about beating Resistance, but we’re only human. Just understand that when the chaos dies down, you get yourself back on track.

The Ties That Bind

    

This post is an Eagles fan’s perspective on Sunday’s tie between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Cincinnati Bengals which includes a few ideas about leadership and confidence. Photo by Ron Cortes

While the sports news pundits and analysts had a field day about the tie between the Eagles and the Bengals, yesterday’s game really got me thinking about a few things:

1. Donovan McNabb admitted he didn’t know about games ending in a tie in the NFL. This shows a lack of quality leadership. He’s mentally checked out of this season, and it showed the past few weeks.

2. Admitting he didn’t know about the rule is honest. However, he’s taking a lot of media criticism, especially from the local Philly media. The questions are: Will he learn from his mistake, and does he care enough to correct his lack of preparation.

3. While the defense played a great game, the offense was very poor. Is McNabb truly to blame? Are his receivers choosing not to play for him? Are the wrong plays being called? These are questions that can only be answered within the organization.

As an Eagles fan, how am I expected to be excited about the rest of the season? I’ve lost confidence in the offense and the leadership. I’m tired of watching other teams produce on the field, while the Eagles go 3 and out over and over again. I don’t work hard every week just to take the time out of my weekend to watch this team and be forced to expect bad results.

One lesson I’ve learned: There’s a difference between confidence and delusion. It’s clear that the chemistry between McNabb and his team mates is not there. McNabb refuses to acknowledge that by saying ‘confidence is high.’ I’ve also learned that if after five weeks the plan is not working… change the plan. 

I was taught that in leadership, when there is an obstacle between you and your goal, you must make course adjustments in order to reach that goal.

Morning Pages

In an article in Scientific American’s latest issue, Julia Cambell (author of The Artists Way) took part in a discussion about unleashing your creativity. She mentioned the morning pages technique, which I had forgotten about.

In a nutshell, morning pages are simply taking a sheet of paper (or a blank text file, as I’ve done) and you write about anything you want. There are no restrictions, no first drafts, no editing. It’s just you and your true thoughts on paper. This is a way of getting out negative emotions, and negative self-talk, and it’s supposed to help you open your mind to new ideas.

I started doing them a few days ago. I can honestly say that it’s helped. I’m not sure if I’ve generated new ideas yet, but getting out those emotions really help. So, even if it doesn’t help unleash your creativity, it’s still something that more people should do.

Reclaiming Creativity

I find the word ‘creativity’ intimidating. It’s a mysterious concept, and I think it has many interpretations.

Creativity is subjective. You may not necessarily agree with my idea of creativity. So, where is the line between acceptable creativity and utter drivel? Who draws that line?

Perhaps my approach is flawed. Danny Gregory (author of The Creative License) says creativity is fun, and people NEED to create. I’m struggling to return to that way of thinking. In an interview, David Carson said in an interview that if you’re bored or not really enjoying it, then it’s ‘work.’

My best friend (a very creative illustrator) suggests rearranging my environment. He also links creativity to ‘fun’ and not ‘work.’

Perhaps the road to solving my problem is as simple as finding fun in creativity again. Maybe that’s the answer I’ve been seeking.

Fear, Self-Doubt, & Creativity

The long, hard road to any creative endeavor is filled with obstructions. Writers have the dreaded writer’s block. Graphic designers have the slump, or in extreme cases, burnout.

What causes these blocks and burnouts? In my own experience, the root of fear started with diminishing confidence, losing focus, and experiencing self-dout. Allowing these things to fester inside me has seriously hurt me. “Fear is the mind killer.” I firmly believe in that statement.

So, how does one break through the blocks, regain focus, and confidence? I don’t have that answer. To be honest, I don’t know if it’s any ONE answer. I think it’s something I have to work out for myself. Once I find it, I’ll write a post about it.

There are tons of blogs and books on creativity. Two great books are: The Creative License by Danny Gregory, and War of Art by Steven Pressfield. The former is more about drawing, & rediscovering creativity. The latter is geared towards writers, but the core ideas can pertain to any creative discipline.